Correctional Cook

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Prepares, cooks, and seasons soups, meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, desserts, and other foods; substitutes meals when scheduled food supplies are not available.
• Assists in ordering, receiving, checking, and storing foods and supplies.
• Supervises food service workers assisting in food preparation, serving, and cleaning of kitchen facilities and equipment; maintains the security of the kitchen area and enforces disciplinary measures when needed; instructs and trains food service workers in the operation of equipment used in semi-skilled kitchen tasks.
• May perform meat cutting and baking duties.
• Prepares routine records and reports; will be required to work various shifts when other cooks are not available.
• May prepare and submit documented incident reports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Option I

One year of large-quantity cooking experience in an institutional, military, large commercial kitchen, or similar setting which has developed skills in measuring and mixing ingredients according to recipes and number of persons to be served.

Please note: For this recruitment, "large quantity cooking experience" is defined as regular experience preparing, from scratch, entire meals (protein, starch, and vegetables) for 350 or more people; experience in the fast-food industry is not applicable.

Option II

One year of experience in food service work within a detention facility.

Option III

Two years of experience in food service work in an institutional, military, or large commercial kitchen, or similar setting.

Certificate: Applicants will be required to possess either a ServSafe Certification or a Riverside County Food Handler's Card upon hire.

Knowledge of: The practices, methods, and equipment used in preparing, cooking, and serving food in large quantities; behavior of persons in detention facilities; sanitation methods in cleaning and caring or equipment; storing and inventorying large quantities of food; common weights and measures; occupational hazards and safety precautions of kitchen areas and equipment.

Ability to: Prepare, cook, and coordinate cooking processes so that nutritional meals are prepared and served on time; guide and instruct inmates and juveniles in semi-skilled food preparation, service, and cleaning tasks; read and understand recipes, labels, and instructions for food preparation; perform basic mathematical operations to determine the proportions of ingredients with a minimum of waste; cut, slice, and grind meat and poultry; follow oral and written directions; maintain personal cleanliness and neatness; maintain effective working relationships with inmates and juveniles; maintain effective security of kitchen equipment and utensils; prepare routine records and reports.

Schedule: Correctional Cooks are required to work rotating shifts. Some weekends and/or holidays are required.

Other: All incumbents must be willing and able to work with inmates.